Concerns have been raised by numerous Nigerians, including a retired commander and diplomat, after demonstrators in the ongoing #EndBadGovernance demonstration waved what seemed to be the Russian flag.
The nationwide demonstrations started on Thursday, August 1, in reaction to the suffering that the people of the nation are going through.
Security personnel are said to have killed no fewer than 17 persons and detained numerous demonstrators nationwide.
“We don’t want bad government,” the demonstrators in Kano chanted in Hausa as images and videos of them carrying the Russian flag went viral on Saturday.
Prominent Nigerians have expressed worry about the consequences for the nation’s security. Bulama Bukarti, an attorney, claimed that the pictures showed the increasing pro-Russian sentiment in Northern Nigeria.
He wrote, “Two aspects of the ongoing hunger protest in Nigeria particularly intrigue me. Firstly, there is a small but growing support for Russia and a corresponding rise in anti-West sentiment, especially in Northern Nigeria. Some protesters in Kano carried the Nigerian flag alongside the Russian flag, and there have been calls from some participants for demonstrators to bring Russian flags and photos of Vladimir Putin to seek Russia’s assistance.
“More concerning is that these protesters do not seem to be affiliated with any pro-Russian group; they simply made amateur flags as observed by @Aliyussufiy who took the first photo, suggesting that this sentiment is developing organically. This trend is likely to expand, especially as malign actors may observe and exploit it.”
Bashir Ahmad, a former presidential assistant, requested that the government keep an eye on the situation and take preventative measures. He continued, “This may point to a number of underlying attitudes or influences that the government needs to carefully evaluate and address.”
An award-winning journalist, Philip Obaji Jr. said, “President Vladimir Putin and Russia must be excited to learn that Russian flags were displayed by a number of protesters in Kano in northwestern Nigeria during today’s Enough Is Enough protest to #EndBadGovernace.”
Several West African nations, including Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, have had coups, and Russia, an Eastern power, has been implicated in these events.
The three nations’ military administrations have also left the Economic Community of West African States, which is overseen by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.
Kawu Garba, a social media user, requested that the Department of State Services look into the event. “Why are the protesters in Kano waving Russian flags?” he asked.
“Is Russia funding demonstrations in Nigeria in order to incite chaos? @OfficialDSSNG should look into this.”
Also, a political commentator, Kayode Ogundamisi, said the protesters might be ignorant.
He said, “Whichever of the divide that may be responsible for distributing those Russian flags, either pro or anti-protest, that person dey mad. You lot have ABSOLUTELY, no idea! Beware of what you wish for.”
While acknowledging that he was unaware of the photographs, Force spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi offered to follow up with a journalist from PUNCH. As of press time, he hadn’t done so yet.
As of the time this story was filed, neither Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, nor Peter Afunanya, the DSS spokesperson, had returned calls or replied to messages left for them.
Retired Brig.-Gen. Bashir Adewinbi warned Nigerians against plotting with foreign powers to compromise the nation’s security and democracy while analysing the presence of the Russian flag.
Adewinbi described the situation as unfortunate, he said, “It is unfortunate that some Nigerians are waving foreign flags in a national protest. Our people should be careful; they should not create room for anybody to destroy our country.
“I must say that a coup can never happen in Nigeria. There can be no coup attempt against President Bola Tinubu. The security chiefs are with him and he has educated them. I don’t think any senior officer will come out and announce anything like a coup in Nigeria. We are all united, we are for the unity of the people, and we will maintain it. We will protect our democracy.”
A former Nigerian ambassador to the Philippines, Yemi Farounbi, urged on the organisers of the rally to avoid any outsider influence.
Farounbi said, “It is an unfortunate incident to fly the flag of a foreign country during your protest. When you recall that there is Russian presence in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Congo, one begins to wonder that you may be having an externalisation or an external indication of an internal domestic protest against certain circumstances.
“It is tragic, and I do not think that is what the organisers wanted. Certainly, that is not what Nigerians want. They do not want Nigeria to become impacted by ideological warfare between the West and the East. They do not want to see a replacement of Russia-backed military action in Nigeria.
“It is unfortunate. Perhaps, it is a reason for the patriotic organisers of the protest to stop the demonstration before it becomes something that some people will take over from them or turn Nigeria to a pawn.
“Those who are supported by this Russian regime have broken away from ECOWAS to form a separate body. It is something that other West African countries should be wary of.”
Ambassador Adesola Abolurin, a former director of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, demanded that the Economic Community of West African States get in.
The proximity of Niger Republic to region, he said, was the reason behind the push for Russian engagement in Northern Nigeria.
Abolurin stated, “This should not be unexpected given the volatile situation of that region, particularly since they are nearer to Niger Republic, so that is expected and, the organisers of the protest should have known that the protest will be hijacked by foreign agencies; where do they get the Russian flags from? They must have gotten them from across the border and one will expect that people will infiltrate our border from Niger and Somali and that is exactly what has happened now.
“The Russian flags must have come directly from the border. And the earlier the ECOWAS intervene in the crisis in the region, particularly in Niger Republic and Mali, the earlier they approach them, appeal to them to come back to the fold, the better.
“Already in Kano they have the issue of Emirship and this should have put into consideration by security agencies, but unfortunately, that was never done. They have a lot of problems already in the North, every little destruction in the North will escalate from the other side”.
Professor Bola Akinterinwa, a former director-general of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, speculated that the protesters dancing and raising the Russian flag might not be Nigerians.
“The people flying Russian flags and dancing during the protest may not be Nigerians but Nigeriens,” Akinterinwa said.
He highlighted that because of charges of poor leadership, the protest which was first scheduled for August 1–10 may turn into a more forceful call for President Tinubu’s resignation.
The former NIIA DG warned, “The situation we have now could prompt a coup d’état.”
Former DSS Director Mike Ejiofor, for his part, stated that the government and security organisations shouldn’t treat the matter lightly.
“In the security circle, you don’t dismiss such negative display. You will recall that the DSS had an intelligence report that there was a foreign influence in what is going on and that what the protesters are trying to achieve is a regime change. Russia has no business in interfering in Nigeria’s internal affairs.
“We have to intensify our intelligence gathering efforts both the national intelligence agency and the state security service must look at these threats even though they had highlighted them earlier. Citizens must also be security conscious of whatever that is happening around them”, Ejiofor said.
The head of the Research Savannah Centre for Development and Training, Col. Abdulwahab Ademola Lawal, stated: “The US and the Western powers are concerned about democracy, but the Russians do not mind having a military coup detat and military government in this State. The main issue is about regime security.” In areas where their authority is under threat, the Russians are attempting to establish regime security.
“This is a new trend that we should watch out for. It means that there are promoters of this new trend and the influence is pressing down from Niger and Mali to continue to distabilise Nigeria. Nigeria should be worried by this, we should be worried because it means that there is an extension of Russian influence in Nigeria now. If you look at what is currently going on in the Sahel, there is a lot of Russian influence in the Sahel, they are already in Sudan, they are in Mali, they are in Niger, they are in Bukina Faso, they are in Central African Republic, so Russian influence in Africa is expanding, I won’t be surprised if there are elements in Kano who want to gnashed into this question of Russian influence in Africa.
“The sentiment of most African countries now is anti-America, they are anti-France and they are looking for alternative security architecture, therefore it is becoming a trend across Africa. You are aware of the Wagner African corps, it is an influence that really pressing down on Africa, they are pressing down on Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic, it is a new trend of security challenges, the sovereignty of Africa is under challenge by Russia and so we are returning to the cold war era with the challenge between the West and Russia”.
the press secretary for the Russian Embassy, Yury Paramonov, denied that Russia was involved in the current protests taking place in the nation.
He said, “The Russian Embassy in Nigeria does not have any information about any groups of protesters using the Russian flag or other state symbols of our country. We have not seen such photo or video materials and would appreciate it if The Punch could provide us with such materials if they exist. Even if such incidents did occur, it would be the decision of individuals. We do not know why they might have used Russian flags.
“The Russian Federation is in no way involved in the current events in Nigeria. Moreover, Russia does not provide any material or financial support to the protesters.”
